"Barn Burning" by Faulkner: Element of Fire

The element of fire is a very powerful and destructive force to those who encounter it. It is often interpreted as an evil symbol as fires tend to be violent and uncontrollable towards anything in its path. This strong, devastating element of fire can also be used as a central symbol to describe a psychological conflict within one's mind or the problem with interacting with others. In Faulkner's short story "Barn Burning" and Barreca's poem "Nighttime Fires," the fire is used as a symbol to represent the revenge, and anger towards the world felt by the fathers, who in turn, trigger a re…